LMU Hurricanes 4 – 5 YFC
It was heart attack football yet again on Sunday evening outside the Vancouver Metro bubble at Surrey’s Newton Athletic park. Yaletown Football Club stomped, strolled, scrambled and limped over 90 minutes plus to a raucous 4-5 win over a downright mad football club known as LMU Hurricanes.
Going into the match YFC knew they had to take 3 points from a LMU side that had given up 25 goals, scored 10 and secured only 2 points from their opening 6 contests. Straight from the kick off it was evident why they’d given up so many goals, they seemed to only have one man back with the rest of their team at or beyond the half. A prize should have been given to the genius that could figure out what formation they were playing. 6 men back, 4 in midfield… then 1 man back, 6 in midfield and 3 up front, on some counters they left 2 men back with 8 attacking… attempting to understand who played on what side of the pitch caused severe head swelling. Marking was interesting.
LMU started quite well, furiously attacking a depleted YFC midfield and backline (missing 5 starting players) firing a number of shots wide of the net after getting in and around Yaletown defenders. However on one of YFC’s forays forward in the opening 20 minutes Oleg Benesch had a bit of space around the 18 off to the right. He unleashed a looping howitzer to the far stick and beat their keeper tidily inside his post. A wonderful goal to give YFC the lead 0-1… so began the madness. Control of the match felt well within reach at this point as the insanity of LMU’s all-attacking front 9 was opening up shipping lanes through their defence. Oleg again victimized their back line traversing left along the 18 he spanked in a low shot across the keeper and inside the right post. YFC’s goal machine was purring sweetly, shortly after Adam Jennings received the ball in the 18 yard box, controlled neatly and tucked it away. The rout was on…
At least thats what YFC thought, LMU had other ideas. They kept at it, pounding away at the YFC defense until they won a corner late in the first half. Some calamitous marking led to a scramble in the 18 and a LMU player buried his effort when it squirted free. 1-3 YFC and half time.
The second half saw LMU pick up the pace and play with a measure of order at the back compared to their diabolical first half performance. Waves of LMU attackers flooded the midfield and bombed forward from all angles, often having multiple outlets as YFC’s players were overrun at times. Yaletown had a hard time figuring out who to mark as conventional football logic had long since been flung out the window. Midfielders and forwards weren’t tracking back to cover all LMU’s extra players pushing up and YFC wasn’t taking advantage of the gaps at the back.
LMU’s number 7 had a strong game, a thick brutish man with sharp elbows and a cannon of a right foot laid claim to their second goal when he was left free just beyond the 18 to slam it into the net. Shortly after from a set piece one of their players rose to meet a good cross and beat his man to nod it home. 3-3, total madness as Yaletown was out to sea.
Soon after, it was tough to tell what happened in a melee of bodies off a corner but apparently Dennis Kooij managed to nod in the go ahead goal. It was now 3-4 for Yaletown. That wasn’t the end of it, LMU bombed forward relentlessly, forcing several stellar saves from YFC’s stalwart keeper, Brad Bodenhammer. Eventually LMU won a corner, played it short and with not a soul marking him their number 7 controlled, set up shop just outside the 18 and sledgehammered it past Brad who had no chance. Incredibly it was now 4-4 with just minutes left.
After having played a fairly forgettable match overall Yaletown didn’t give up, down by the goal line Pierce Joneson looped in a ball to Oleg who managed to touch it home for his hat-trick and the 4-5 winner! The whistle blew as the boys celebrated (somewhat sheepishly) in LMU’s half. Madness!!!
All in all, it was a ridiculous affair that should’ve been done and dusted early on. YFC had 3 clear chances to score outside of the 5 goals they did bury and didn’t take them. After the 3-4 goal, it really should’ve been 3-5 and possibly the end of the game, but this year’s Yaletown side clearly has a keen sense for the dramatic. YFC still occupies the 3rd position in the table on 14 points, 2 off the leaders UBC Metro who the boys will meet head on this Friday at Andy Livingstone, 8pm. Minoru Echizenya was named Man of the Match for yet another consistently solid performance at right back, well done Minoru!